Driver sentenced after pleading guilty to hitting, killing Philadelphia doctor in bike lane
Barbara Friedes was a chief resident at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The driver who pleaded guilty to hitting and killing a 30-year-old Philadelphia doctor was sentenced Tuesday.
Michael Vahey, 69, entered a guilty plea to vehicular homicide, DUI and other charges in April. He will spend six to 20 years in prison.
The district attorney's office says he was drunk and speeding when he hit Barbara Friedes last July, as she was traveling in the bike lane.
"This prosecution and sentence should send a message to anyone who gets behind the wheel while intoxicated that this reckless behavior will not be tolerated," said District Attorney Larry Krasner in a statement.
Outside the courthouse, Vahey's attorney, Amato Sanita, said, "There were so many people impacted by this case that there's just not enough ways for him to say he's sorry."
The crash happened near the corner of 18th and Spruce streets in Center City. An angel bike now sits in that spot as a memorial to Friedes.
The 30-year-old was a chief resident at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, working toward a pediatric oncology fellowship.
"I don't think any sentence would have been the right sentence because it's never going to replace what we lost," Friedes' friend and colleague, Kelly McNult, told Action News on Tuesday.
"Today was a lot about the impact of her death. But, we also want to remember the impact of her life and how many people she touched," she added.
After Tuesday's sentencing, Friedes' father, John Dietrick, spoke about the conclusion of the case. He said his daughter never stopped fighting for the underdog.
"She never stopped feeling compassion. She never stopped feeling empathy. She was a true light."
